“We had roughly 200 more entries in our 4-H and FFA competitions, 200 more exhibits, than we had the previous year,” Benz says.

Benz says there were also 1,200 more beef cattle than last year.

Benz told a Missouri House Committee on Thursday that the Fair included some record attendance numbers for two days.

“The first Sunday of the Missouri State Fair is Military Appreciation Day, and our Department hosts a Military Appreciation Day event on that Sunday, and it set record attendance on that first Sunday for that day,” Benz says.

Military Appreciation Day included free gate admission for active military, veterans and recruits with appropriate ID, and $1 gate admission for immediate family members.

Benz told lawmakers that there was record attendance on Monday, August 15.

Benz says the State Fair was blessed with good weather. He also says they’re still finalizing the attendance numbers, because some of the tickets were sold at MFA Oil and other facilities.